Fantasy Stockings is a Canadian hosiery shop with a wide selection of pantyhose, stay up stockings, hold ups, garter belts, leggings, knee high socks, trouser socks, and other nylon legwear.
We are based in Calgary, but have representation in Vancouver and Toronto too. Domestic shipping for Canada and United States. Discreet service available.

I have a move coming up, so I decided to move some of my inventory that I had too much of on hand. Hence, I even put up some wholesale lots on eBay of Fortissima by Gatta and some other cool styles. I made this video to illustrate how Fortissima is resistant to runs.

Do you want to try Fortissima? Holes rarely turn into runs.
Wholesale lot on eBay:

For those people who think that run resistant pantyhose is a new thing, have a look at these from 30 years ago.

Woodsonia was a house brand of Woodward’s department stores in British Columbia and Alberta, which operated for a century before being sold to The Hudson Bay company in 1993.

My friend had a stash of these vintage pantyhose at home and she gave it to me to sell. She bought it herself all those years back, but kept it new and untouched.

100% nylon and non run – sounds like impossible combination? At least some of the modern brands use lycra fusion to create such resistance, but here they say that it’s all about the stitch.

From a quick search online, we see that Woodsonia brand doesn’t exist anymore. Only what’s left of it is a few items advertised online for sale in either BC or Alberta provinces.

In case you want to try it, I only have one pair here in off white, Medium size. $4.99

These are made in Canada, most likely in Vancouver. Oh, those were the good times when we had pantyhose locally made here! Such pantyhose even had “Shop Canadian” logo on them. Too bad I wasn’t around yet to shop.

“It’s so hard to find great quality fashionable stockings that last. I found them!! I love the styles and the quality of these products. Best thing is they take my beatings as I can be a little rough on these things when putting them on and washing them, but theses last really well. Another thing I love about this hosiery is that for a gal sized 11-12 they fit well and don’t ride down on me like many others. The style options speak for themselves though, FABULOUS!”

I find that if pantyhose are of good quality, it really doesn’t matter if they have a control top or not – they’ll stay up properly without sagging. I started having a preference for sheer to waist pantyhose just because they look so much better with high cut outfits.

Non-compressive and easy to put on, without the control top struggle, is actually the main benefit for me. I’ve met women who would say that they are squashed by their pantyhose.

T-tops are also really nice, but the only thing for me is that they would show up at the inner leg if worn with a bodysuit, like let’s say a dance leotard.

If someone does need shapewear, I’d suggest to buy a bodysuit or shorts with a shaping element for that purpose that can be worn over and over again. Pantyhose are best when they are simply sheer!

*Friends, please have a look at the shop section. This is what funds this blog.*

This video shows off Fortissima pantyhose by Gatta. Amazing quality! Available at the shop section. Fortissima pantyhose is the softest and strongest from Gatta line. If you’d be to choose only one style to try, that would be it.

Gatta Brand

The company that owns the brand is called Ferax and it is located in a small Polish city called Zdunska Wola. Perhaps there is not much in that city except for that factory. That district in general has very well established textile industries.This beautiful and seductive video is an advertisement for a Polish brand called Gatta and for their run resistant Fortissima pantyhose. This brand dominates Russian and Polish market and is considered to be one of the most well-launched brands in Poland.

Wearing Fortissima Pantyhose

Pantyhose advertised here is Fortissima, but probably more like in 30 den. I only so far tried 15 den and 20 den in Fortissima style. It came out around 2010 and I got my hands on it right away during my visit to Europe. Amazed by the quality, I kept on buying more and more of it for daily wear.

It is run resistant, not to say completely run-free, but the quality is really good for the price, that’s for sure. Such properties are achieved by Lycra Fusion mechanism. A friend of mine told me that she ripped hers with the zipper from her boot by accident, but it didn’t run all over the place, so she returned home and stitched it. Still wears it, with boots of course.

Another friend of mine, Michelle, likes this style because she finds that it fits comfortably around her hips. She’s got a bit of a fuller figure.

Some Styles of Run Resistant Hosiery are Available at the Shop Section!

This article is by T. Gallagher from USA, an industry expert and a person with great knowledge about different types of run resistant hosiery. We express such gratitude to him for taking the time to write for Fantasy Stockings blog and share his knowledge.

This is a package of Brooke’s run resistant pantyhose.

See if you can relate to this story. Its Monday morning, you hit the snooze on your alarm clock one too many times, and now you are running late for work. You are in a full blown frenzy desperately trying to get out the door. You rush to brush your teeth, shower, get dressed, do your hair, and get your makeup just right. You open a new package of your favorite pantyhose. You slip your feet in, gently slide the hose up your legs, tuck yourself in, only to realize that you have a huge run up the back of your leg.

Seriously, what business professional wants to be in the middle of a presentation and realize she has a glaring unsightly run up the side of her leg for all to see? For that matter, who wants to be at an elegant dinner party or wedding and discover a snag has opened up into an unsightly hole or ladder? Ladders, rips, runs, and snags are often cited by women as the main reason they don’t wear or stopped wearing hosiery including pantyhose stockings and tights.

There is a solution: Run resistant hosiery technology. Run resistant hosiery technology does exist and has been around for decades. When manufactured correctly, hosiery that utilizes run-resistant technology is not only more durable it actually increases the appeal and experience of wearing hosiery. Run-resistant hosiery technology is relatively inexpensive to incorporate in the manufacturing process.

For years, the hosiery industry chose to shelve run-resistant technology. Hosiery manufacturers were slow to embrace and invest in new advances in sewing and textile equipment and processes.
They were content with the status quo and followed the short sighted logic that they would lose business and profit if they made hosiery that was durable. "Sell more to make more profit" was the prevailing thought process of most hosiery manufacturers. Instead of making a product that would last, they chose to make a product that was prone to fail. Had the manufacturers incorporated run resistant technology when it first became available, one could argue more women would still be wearing hosiery today.

Run resistant technology for hosiery involves a two-step process.

The first step in producing run resistant hosiery involves changing how the fibers and threads forming the hosiery are stitched, machined, or woven together. In regular hosiery (prone to ladders, runs, rips, and snags) the fibers and threads are plain stitched together which is a looser weave or stitch process. In run-resistant hosiery, the weave or stitch is tightened up. Tightening the weave is referred to as the knotting process or lock stitching. In some hosiery, the knotting process or lock stitching is focused on key areas prone to runs including the waistband, panty, crotch, gusset, heel, toes, and the transition point between the panty and leg. In true run resistant hosiery, the knotting process or lock stitching is incorporated throughout the entire product from waistband to toe.

The second step in run-resistant hosiery involves blending the original nylon fiber with another synthetic or natural fiber. Some examples include acrylic, acetates, cotton, lycra/spandex, polyesters, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl, rayon, silk, and wool fibers. The most common blend in hosiery is to combine nylon with lycra/spandex. By increasing the amount of lycra/spandex content, the more run-resistant the hosiery becomes. For example, a pair of pantyhose with a 80% nylon and 20% lycra/spandex blend is going to be more run resistant or more durable than a pair with a 90% nylon and 10% lycra/spandex blend. One drawback to incorporating more Lycra/Spandex into the blend is the denier or thickness of the hosiery increases. A true sheer pantyhose blend would have a 86% Nylon and 14% Lycra/Spandex content. Anything more would result in a heavier denier or thicker Р“СћРІвЂљВ¬Р›Сљtights like’ hosiery product.

run resistant hosiery won’t snag easily

A shortcut would be to stop at the stitching process. However, the finished product would be rougher and uncomfortable to wear. Likewise, blending nylon with lycra/spandex fibers alone would still lead to ladders, rips, runs, and snags. To achieve wearable run-resistant hosiery both steps must be utilized.

An early example of a run resistant hosiery brand that I remember was the Brooke Shields Forever Sheer Non-Run Pantyhose. Brooke would sell her brand of hosiery on infomercials only. During her half hour commercial she would take knives, forks, staples, scissors, and other sharp objects to her hose and show they would not snag or run. The visual demonstrations were quite effective and consumer response was strong.

More recently, Microfiber technology has been incorporated in the manufacturing of hosiery as a way to increase run resistance. Microfiber technology is also a process of blending fibers. Microfibers are more commonly synthetic fibers although some natural fibers have been incorporated in the process. The shape, size and combinations of synthetic fibers are selected for specific characteristics, including: softness, durability, breathability, thermal regulating, and wicking properties. Microfiber is also very elastic, making it ideal for hosiery. Microfibers allow for stronger more durable hosiery at lower denier or thickness. Not only does microfiber technology enhance run-resistanceР“СћРІвЂљВ¬¦ Microfiber technology increases overall comfort, durability, fit, and feel of hosiery. Have you ever felt hot or tend to perspire wearing hosiery? How about a binding sensation or itchy feeling from a pair of pantyhose? Ever have a pair of pantyhose or tights lose their shape, sag, or bunch up/wrinkle at the ankle? Thanks to the incorporation of microfibers into hosiery those problems can also be a thing of the past.

High end manufacturers of hosiery in Europe were the first to incorporate run-resistant technology including the use of microfibers in their hosiery products. Brands like Wolford, Falke, Kunert, Gypsy, Gerbe, Filodoro, Elbeo, Cette, Pretty Polly, and Transparenze all have incorporated run resistant technology and the use of microfibers into their product lines. United States brands like Hanes, Berkshire, Just My Size, Leggs, No-Nonsense and Silkies were soon to follow. They all have released run-resistant hosiery in their product lines. Asian manufacturers have also started producing lines of run resistant hosiery.

One can only hope that hosiery manufacturers have learned from their mistakes of the pastР“СћРІвЂљВ¬¦ opting for the wise choice to embrace improved processes and technology that lead to better products for their customers.

Have you tried or do you have a favorite brand of run resistant hosiery? Tell us about it and share your story below.